Ema Wilkes, Chief Executive and Founder of Neo Community, has been awarded a coveted Churchill Fellowship.
It will enable Ema to travel to Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, and to work alongside organisations in Canada to explore how communities can move from crisis support towards greater resilience, participation, and community power.
Ema’s Fellowship, Pantry to Power: Scaling Community-Led Food, Health and Youth Leadership, will explore innovative approaches to food dignity, community organising, youth leadership and sustainable community development, learning from organisations that are helping people move beyond emergency food aid and towards long-term solutions that build connection, opportunity and local ownership.
Ema is one of 109 new Churchill Fellows announced by the charity, The Churchill Fellowship.
These remarkable individuals span the length and breadth of the UK, representing different backgrounds, experiences, professions and passions.
Each shares a commitment to inspiring change and building a better society through global learning.
Alongside Ema, this year’s Fellows’ research will span a wide range of pressing issues – from tackling social media harm and creating climate-friendly school canteens to strengthening dementia care in rural communities.
They will draw on experience and share knowledge with innovators in countries across the globe from Greenland to Taiwan, New Zealand to Argentina, South Africa to Jamaica.
The Churchill Fellowship offers UK citizens a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead the change they want to see.
Each Fellowship funds an individual to spend four to eight weeks meeting global experts in their chosen field, in person or online, to build international networks and exchange knowledge.
Fellows then turn their insights into action, transforming communities, shaping services and influencing policy across the UK.
The 2026 Churchill Fellows join a community of over 4,000 changemakers who work on the frontline of today’s critical issues, developing new solutions based on global research and their personal expertise.
From ages 18 to over 80 and from every corner of all four nations, Churchill Fellows have achieved amazing things, from becoming community leaders and charity founders to embedding new services and campaigning for action in fields from climate change to education, technology to the arts.
Applications to become a Fellow are next open from 1 September to 20 October 2026.
Moving From Emergency Aid to Local Ownership
Talking about her award, Ema said:
“I am incredibly proud and genuinely humbled to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship.
“Through Neo Community, I already have the privilege of sharing in people’s lives, hearing their stories, witnessing hardship, resilience and the remarkable ways communities come together to support one another.
“Food is rarely just food.
“It can be the beginning of a conversation, a trusted relationship, a chance to learn something new, to volunteer, to lead and to reconnect with your community.
“Through this Fellowship I hope to learn from traveling to inspiring organisations across Europe and online work with Australia, USA and Canada how communities can move from crisis support towards greater resilience, dignity and community power.
“Most importantly, I want this Fellowship to belong to our communities.
“I will include local residents, volunteers, staff, young people and partners in my work through steering groups, so that they help to shape what I learn, sharing ideas along the way and ensuring the learning comes back to Wirral and beyond in practical ways that help communities thrive.”
Seeking Out New Ideas and Cross-Border Connections
Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Churchill Fellowship says:
“In a world where looking outwards has never mattered more, there is something genuinely hopeful about people choosing to seek out new ideas, build connections across borders, and use that knowledge to create positive change.
“I am delighted to welcome our 2026 Fellows.
“Each of them shows the power of curiosity, openness, and a willingness to learn from others.
“We’re all looking forward to following their journeys and seeing the difference they make across the UK.”
